Ran Craycraft

Let’s work together

The early part is where I’m most useful, when an idea is still fuzzy or something has been stuck for a while. We work out what the real problem is together, then build the smallest thing that helps and watch what people do with it.

Ran Craycraft smiling, leaning against a sunlit wall in a dark shirt

Ways to work together

  1. Launching something new

    A product, a venture, a new office or a new line of business. AI makes it easier than ever to build the wrong thing in a weekend, so most of the work is deciding what’s worth building, then getting a small version in front of the people it’s for.

    I’ve done this at AOL, where I helped launch AOL Industry from zero, at North Kingdom, opening its US operation, and with Wildebeest, the studio I co-founded.

  2. Solving tough problems with software

    When a process is slow, a team is stuck or AI keeps coming up without a plan. I think AI should raise a team’s ambition, and the fastest way to find out how is to build something small, see if people use it twice, and be honest when they don’t.

    At thoughtbot, I’ve reshaped how a consultancy grows and delivers, and I build tools for my own team to test what AI can really do.

  3. Bringing ideas into physical spaces

    Events, community programs and the places people gather deserve the same care as any product. Some of my favorite projects never had a screen.

    I built a neighborhood network with more than 10,000 members, and in Ladera Heights I’ve run produce pickups, drive-in movie nights and a monthly cleanup.

Companies I’ve worked with

  • NBC
  • AOL
  • Google
  • YouTube
  • Microsoft
  • Intel
  • GM
  • Toyota
  • Frito-Lay
  • Taco Bell

My work has won

  • The Emmys
  • Cannes Lions
  • The Webby Awards
  • The ANDYs

How it starts

  1. 1You tell me about it. What you’re trying to do, where you’re stuck, and your timing. A few sentences is plenty.
  2. 2We talk. A conversation to understand the idea and the people it’s for, and to see if I’m the right fit.
  3. 3We decide the next step together. That might be a short piece of advice, a focused project, or an introduction to someone better suited.

The work so far

  1. Helping stabilize the organization behind the Ruby ecosystemRuby Central
  2. Building the next chapter of thoughtbotthoughtbot
  3. Produce pickups, movie nights, and a cleanup that’s still goingLadera Heights
  4. Wildebeest, a studio for products, platforms, and experimentsWildebeest
  5. Bringing North Kingdom to the United StatesNorth Kingdom
  6. Launching new ventures and growing established products at AOLAOL
  7. Why Leave Astoria, a neighborhood network with more than 10,000 membersWhy Leave Astoria
  8. New digital experiences for NBC, from Heroes to the project that became HuluNBCUniversal